Major reverses suffered by BJP today in bypolls in U P, Rajasthan and Gujarat came as a shot in the arm for Congress which said people have junked the "politics of polarisation", but the ruling party put up a brave face saying the results are not a referendum on the Modi government.
While Congress said the results were a "good omen" for secular forces and that it heralded an end of the Modi government's honeymoon period, the BJP said it will help them correct shortcomings at local level to help it win the upcoming Assembly elections as these polls were fought totally on local issues.
The Aam Aadmi Party said the bypoll reverses were "bad news" for BJP but not "good news" for the opposition yet.
"Modi (government's) honeymoon period with the people is over", said Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed seeking to portray the verdict in Uttar Pradesh, where BJP could win only three of 11 assembly seats with the rest going to SP, as "vote against BJP more than in favour of any party".
UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said, "People of the state have given a befitting reply to the communal forces" and made it clear that they need harmony and brotherhood.
Ahmed claimed that anti-incumbency factor has set in within 100 days of Modi government coming to power.
"People of U P have rejected BJP's politics of hate mongering...Alarm bells are ringing for the BJP. This is a good omen for secular forces that people have started rejecting them," Ahmed said.
Downplaying BJP's poor showing, party vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said,"These results are not a referendum on the Central government. They were fought totally on local level issues. The results have given us an opportunity to correct local level shortcomings and will definitely help us win the coming State Assembly elections."
Party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said BJP has won at some places but lost on some as it was fought on local issues and where some parties had complete majority.
"These bypolls will have no effect on either Central or State governments," he said.
"The anti-BJP votes got polarised in the absence of BSP in UP. Our voters also got over confident. But the Lotus blooming in West Bengal is a good sign," he said.
AAP leader Yogendra Yadav in a series of tweets said, the losses have put question mark on "good days" promise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has given "space" to build
